IN THE NEWS - Lethbridge Family Services receives $18,000 from Bell Canada

LETHBRIDGE - Bell Canada's "Let's Talk Community Fund" is donating $18,000 to Lethbridge Family Services, for two programs aimed at helping girls mainly between the ages of 13 and 17 who have experienced mental health issues, and sexual or emotional abuse.

"These groups will help young teens and young women to come together, to heal from their wounds and just to even explore what mental health is, what is trauma, those kinds of things," says LFS Director of Counselling, Outreach and Education, Lisa Lewis.

Lewis says the first therapy group session, which will begin next week, is called "Take Back your World."

"It's for teens from 13 to 17 who've experienced abuse. That could be sexual abuse, physical abuse, financial abuse, emotional abuse from a family member or a friend, or bullying at school - and who also have a mental health issue."

Lewis wants to emphasize that the teen does not have to officially be diagnosed with a mental illness to qualify or take part in the programs.

"A lot of times, especially in that age group, the diagnosis hasn't happened yet."

The second group is called "Trauma Sensitive Yoga," and is open for younger women ages 18 to 30, although if a woman who is older also wants to take part, they can as well.

"Trauma sensitive yoga is a new therapy that's come out that has proven to be very effective with trauma survivors... that group will be starting at the end of February."

According to Lewis, there isn't any group or therapy similar to those they'll be holding, that she's aware of in the city.

"One thing that we've identified through our counselling program is that groups are so important to the therapeutic process. And right now, we don't believe that there's any group in Lethbridge that is working with the abuse or mental health issue."

Lewis add that they're going to try and maintain the funding next year as well.

For those interested in taking part in one of the session groups, they can contact Lethbridge Family Services at 403-327-5724. If a teenager is taking part in the first group, a parent or guardian needs to call LFS to get a consent form, which will need to be signed.